Clipping Board » Dangerous Medicinal Tonics ─ Nutrients should be moderate in the body—excessive supplementation only becomes a burden.
10/30/2012 [United Evening News / Reporter Huang Yufang / Taipei Report]
A research study conducted on 53 couples visiting the gynecology department of National Taiwan University Hospital found that individuals who regularly consume health supplements had higher levels of the environmental hormone "nonylphenol" in their bodies. Analyzing different types of health supplements, researchers discovered that subjects who took fish liver oil exhibited higher concentrations of nonylphenol. This suggests that environmental hormones may accumulate more easily in oily foods.
Nonylphenol (NP) is a toxic chemical substance regulated by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in Taiwan, where its use is restricted to industrial cleaning agents. However, because NP is difficult to break down by microorganisms once released into the environment, it has been detected in rivers across many countries. Due to its bioaccumulative nature, NP can also enter organisms through the food chain.
The study, titled "Dietary and Lifestyle Habits and Nonylphenol Exposure," was conducted by Chen Zhilang, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Health at Yuanpei University, and others, and was recently published in the Taiwan Journal of Public Health. The research involved 53 couples completing questionnaires about their smoking, drinking, and dietary habits, with most participants also providing urine samples.
The results showed that participants who regularly consumed health supplements had higher NP concentrations in their bodies. Further analysis of the types of supplements taken revealed that those who consumed fish liver oil in fixed amounts had higher NP levels compared to those who took vitamins.
Chen Zhilang stated that the findings were not surprising, as nonylphenol tends to accumulate in fatty foods such as dairy, meat, fish, and shellfish. Fish liver oil is primarily extracted from large fish, which accumulate higher concentrations of environmental hormones through the food chain (e.g., big fish eating smaller fish). Additionally, health supplement manufacturing processes do not typically test for environmental hormones, and producers may overlook this issue during extraction.
Chen noted that this study was relatively small in scale, and further research is needed to better understand the extent of harm posed by high-fat health supplements like fish liver oil in accumulating environmental hormones. He advised the public to reduce their intake of oily foods and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables to minimize nonylphenol exposure.
Source: http://mag. udn. com/ mag/ life/ storypage. jsp? f_ART_ID=421253#ixzz2AnOMfPv3
Higher Nonylphenol Levels in Frequent Cod Liver Oil Consumers
A research study conducted on 53 couples visiting the gynecology department of National Taiwan University Hospital found that individuals who regularly consume health supplements had higher levels of the environmental hormone "nonylphenol" in their bodies. Analyzing different types of health supplements, researchers discovered that subjects who took fish liver oil exhibited higher concentrations of nonylphenol. This suggests that environmental hormones may accumulate more easily in oily foods.
Nonylphenol (NP) is a toxic chemical substance regulated by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in Taiwan, where its use is restricted to industrial cleaning agents. However, because NP is difficult to break down by microorganisms once released into the environment, it has been detected in rivers across many countries. Due to its bioaccumulative nature, NP can also enter organisms through the food chain.
The study, titled "Dietary and Lifestyle Habits and Nonylphenol Exposure," was conducted by Chen Zhilang, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Health at Yuanpei University, and others, and was recently published in the Taiwan Journal of Public Health. The research involved 53 couples completing questionnaires about their smoking, drinking, and dietary habits, with most participants also providing urine samples.
The results showed that participants who regularly consumed health supplements had higher NP concentrations in their bodies. Further analysis of the types of supplements taken revealed that those who consumed fish liver oil in fixed amounts had higher NP levels compared to those who took vitamins.
Chen Zhilang stated that the findings were not surprising, as nonylphenol tends to accumulate in fatty foods such as dairy, meat, fish, and shellfish. Fish liver oil is primarily extracted from large fish, which accumulate higher concentrations of environmental hormones through the food chain (e.g., big fish eating smaller fish). Additionally, health supplement manufacturing processes do not typically test for environmental hormones, and producers may overlook this issue during extraction.
Chen noted that this study was relatively small in scale, and further research is needed to better understand the extent of harm posed by high-fat health supplements like fish liver oil in accumulating environmental hormones. He advised the public to reduce their intake of oily foods and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables to minimize nonylphenol exposure.
Source: http://mag. udn. com/ mag/ life/ storypage. jsp? f_ART_ID=421253#ixzz2AnOMfPv3